Donate to Summer Stock Stage in Indianapolis

Happy Holidays from Summer Stock Stage!

2025 has been an incredible year of growth in our first season as the Resident Theatre Company of the Butler Arts and Events Center. This year alone, we served more than 350 artists—from ages 8 to 88—and welcomed over 7,000 audience members to our productions. Thanks to your support, our impact continues to grow as we head into 2026!

Programming over the next year includes expanded opportunities for:

• Young Performers, with new After-School Classes through our Academy program and a third Academy summer session, expecting to serve over 200 young performers
• High School Actors & Technicians, with a brand-new high school technical theatre internship program, and a third high school production in summer 2026 to meet record-breaking audition numbers (168 students from 50 schools!)
• Seniors, through our first full-length senior citizen musical, Guys and Dolls Sr. in February!
• Audience Members, with our new Summer Flex Pass, avoiding fees and simplifying the process

Join us to celebrate and hear our 2026 season announcement at Open Mic Night on January 2 at 7 PM at the Schrott Center for the Arts—featuring alumni, Academy students, and a preview performance from Guys and Dolls Sr. You won’t want to miss it!

As we look ahead, we hope you’ll help sustain this momentum by supporting our year-end campaign. Our goal is 100 new or increased donations by December 31. Your gift—no matter the size—helps inspire artists, create opportunity, and keep the magic of theatre alive in our community.

Together, we can make 2026 a year full of joy, growth, and unforgettable performances.

At Summer Stock Stage (SSS), we believe in the power of theater to transform lives. Since our founding in 2003, we have been dedicated to inspiring, educating, and developing emerging artists through exceptional theatrical experiences. By combining rigorous training with high-level performance opportunities, we prepare people of all ages to reach their full creative potential both on and off the stage.

Our Mission

The mission of Summer Stock Stage (SSS) is to enrich our community through theatre by inspiring young people to learn, connect, and perform. 
Summer Stock Stage creates outstanding, professional-quality productions that serve as a training ground for emerging artists. We provide students and community members with opportunities to learn from experienced teaching artists, collaborate with peers, and grow as performers, storytellers, and leaders.

What We Do

• Professional Productions: Each summer, Summer Stock Stage produces two fully staged, professional musicals featuring a cast of emerging professional artists. These productions bring together top Indiana talent as well as actors from across the country with seasoned directors, choreographers, and designers, giving audiences Broadway-quality theater right here in Indianapolis, and giving many young artists their first professional performance opportunity.
• High School Productions: Alongside our professional shows, we also produce two musicals featuring the best high school performers from across Central Indiana. Students gain invaluable training and mentorship as they work at a professional standard, often sharing the stage with peers who go on to study and perform theater at the highest levels.
• Education Programs: During the school year, our Academy offers workshops, classes, and masterclasses in acting, voice, and dance. These programs build skills while fostering confidence, creativity, and collaboration. During the summer, the Academy program produces fully staged musicals with young performers from across Central Indiana.
• Community Engagement: Through initiatives like POCA (People of a Certain Age), we are expanding our mission beyond youth programming to inspire seniors as lifelong learners and performers, proving that it’s never too late to grow and connect through theater.

Our Impact

Summer Stock Stage has launched the careers of countless Indiana artists who now perform on Broadway, in national tours, and in regional theaters across the country. Just as importantly, we cultivate lifelong appreciation for the arts by empowering people from diverse backgrounds to see themselves as capable, creative, and connected through theater.

Our Home

In partnership with the Butler Arts & Events Center, our productions and programs now reach wider audiences than ever before. Our professional and Mainstage high school productions are performed at the Schrott Center for the Arts and our educational productions perform at Shelton Auditorium, both on the campus of Butler University.

At Summer Stock Stage, we believe theater is for everyone. Whether you’re a student taking your first acting class, a senior rediscovering the joy of performance, or an audience member cheering from the seats, you are part of our story.